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G8 condemns North Korea

TONY EASTLEY: The New York Times is reporting that a new assessment of North Korea's nuclear capability conducted by the Pentagon's intelligence arm concludes for the first time, with "moderate confidence," that the country has learned how to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be delivered by a ballistic missile.

The foreign ministers of the G8 have condemned "in the strongest possible terms" North Korea's aggressive rhetoric and its development of nuclear missile programs, but it failed to announce any specific measures it would take if things get worse.

The G8 meeting dealt with other subjects with mixed results. Deep divisions for instance remain over Syria.

Europe correspondent, Mary Gearin, reports from London.

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MARY GEARIN: Even as North Korean television proclaimed - again - that the country's warheads are ready to fire, the foreign ministers of the Group of Eight nations pledged unspecified action if there is another missile launch or nuclear test.

UK foreign secretary William Hague:

WILLIAM HAGUE: If the DPRK conducts another missile launch or nuclear test, we committed ourselves to take further significant measures.

MARY GEARIN: Lord Michael Williams, a former UN envoy to the Middle East and Asia, says the G8 ministers' statements were probably as strong as one can expect to bring Russia on board and present a united front.

MICHAEL WILLIAMS: Russia still has some influence over North Korea going back to the old Soviet days and also has better economic ties with North Korea than any country other than China obviously, so that's important. But the outcome on North Korea of course stands in stark contrast to the other great crisis of the day, Syria.

MARY GEARIN: As a reminder of that unfolding tragedy, just as the ministers were meeting, the group Human Rights Watch accused Syria of war crimes. Its latest report says government forces have launched indiscriminate and sometimes deliberate air strikes against civilians.

But the G8 meeting failed to resolve the split between Syria's ally Russia and the group's other nations and William Hague was blunt about the situation.

WILLIAM HAGUE: The world has failed so far in its responsibilities, and continues to do so. The United Nations Security Council, as I've said in Parliament the last time we discussed this, has not fulfilled its responsibilities on Syria because it is divided and that division continues. Have we solved that division at this meeting? No. We didn't expect to do so.

MARY GEARIN: On one topic, the ministers claimed significant progress. The G8 pledged more than $30 million extra funding to help end the use of sexual violence as a weapon in warfare.

Actress and UN special envoy Angelina Jolie has been working with William Hague to help the victims of such crimes.

ANGELINA JOLIE: For too long they have been the forgotten victims of war: responsible for none of the harm but bearing the worst of the pain. But today I believe their voices have been heard and that we finally have some hope to offer them.

MARY GEARIN: Under the declaration, rape during conflict would constitute a grave breach of the Geneva Convention.

The G8 meeting says the aim is not just to respond to the use of sexual violence in war - it's to eradicate it.

From the Archives

Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.